PRESERVED ORIGINAL FEATURES
LIKE THE OGIVE WINDOWS AND
THE CEILING’S MOLDINGS BLEND
HARMONIOUSLY WITH THE
CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE.
Through the original solution of the annex, it was possible to
restore the Salle de l’Institut, a cultural and intellectual hotspot
in Québec City for the second half of the 20th century. With its
circular shape and multiple levels, the new concert and lecture
hall can be isolated through concentric and sliding acoustic
panels integrated to the ceiling. The space is technically
equipped to host conferences, plays, intimate concerts, and
public presentations.
Above, the almost completely white library is filled with light.
Accessible through a sculptural white spiral staircase, it embraces
the generous spatiality of the original church, including carefully
restored elements from previous transformations that highlight
the place’s rich social and spatial history. Preserved original
features like the ogive windows and the ceiling’s moldings blend
harmoniously with the contemporary furniture.
A permanent exhibition on the theme of freedom in Québec
literature had to cover the whole temple area, rather than being
confined to a single room. The architects carefully conceived and
integrated this immersive exhibition promenade with a variety
of other programmatic uses on the three levels of the Maison de
la littérature.
A DIALOGUE BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT
The insertion approach used for the new annex is aimed
primarily at showcasing, complementing and preserving the
heritage value of the existing building. The extension emerges
as a strong symbol of the redeveloped heritage space and avoids
altering the architectural composition of the existing structure.
The project also included a significant restoration component for
the building’s masonry and English gothic church windows.
The glass annex, with its high-quality materials, its transparency,
and its detail simplicity, establishes a material and formal
dialogue with the existing stone building. The extension’s simple
and controlled skin does not compete with the richness and
quality of the adjacent historic details and masonry assembly.
The Maison de la littérature creates a dialogue between the past
and present of the historic neighbourhood of Old Quebec City.
PROJECT DATA
Client / Ville de Québec
Project end date/2017
Budget / 11.8 M$
Area / 1920 m2
Capacity/235 seats
Prizes (selection) / Governor General’s Medals in Architecture
(2018); Prix d’excellence en architecture de l’Ordre des architectes
du Québec, catégorie Bâtiments culturels (2017); Grand Prix
d’excellence de l’Ordre des architectes du Québec (2017); Prix
Architecture de bibliothèques et centre d’archives du Québec
(2017); Prix d’excellence du Conseil du Patrimoine Religieux du
Québec, catégorie Réutilisation (2016); Mérite d’architecture
de la Ville de Québec, catégorie Bâtiment municipal (2016)
; Canadian Architect Award of Excellence (2014)
Collaborators / EMS Ingénierie, Stantec (Dessau), Boudreau
Fortier Huot
Work of public art / Éphémères durables by Mathieu Valade-------
www.chevaliermorales.com